a trifling amount of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a trifling amount of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a quantity that is insignificant or of little value. Example: "The donation was a trifling amount of money compared to the total cost of the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

There is some explicit sex here, quite a few photographs of genitals and a trifling amount of bondage, but the same publisher's "Mapplethorpe" makes "Peek" look like the raunchier daydreams of Little Bo Peep.

The New York Times - Books

[C7.] An Untapped Immigrant Market The big Americans banks have captured only a trifling amount of the business of handling immigrants' remittances of money back home, according to a report by a nonprofit research group.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

It is not a trifling amount – more than the average UK house price and enough to buy a chocolate box cottage with acres of land in Northumberland.

The Guardian - Business

The trifling amount of a parking fine is worth paying for the greater convenience.

WikiHow

per annum, finds that we practically prohibit from our consumption every important article which it produces except to the trifling amount of 300,000l.

The Economist

His other books include "Of Time, Work and Leisure" (1962), in which he contended that there was no leisure, or only trifling amounts of it, in the United States.

The New York Times - Arts

A believable rise of, say, 25percentt in China's imports from Japan, over a course of years, would help Japanese gross domestic product to grow by an extra 0.3percentt -- no trifling amount in an era of economic shrinkage.

The New York Times

Carnegie felt that even the poor could be shown that public giving, which benefits the masses, is "more valuable to them than if scattered among them through the course of many years of trifling amounts".

The New Yorker

"Although I know that you have spent a tremendous amount of your time and that of other people to try to improperly save trifling amounts such as 75 cents a day in spring training rooming allowances," Miller wrote, "still I cannot believe you would deliberately tell untruths to the players in order to avoid paying a $100 bet which you lost".

The New York Times - Sports

In one passage, Carnegie writes that making a large charitable gift is "a much more potent force for the elevation of our race'' than dividing the money into "trifling amounts" for distribution as donations or higher wages, which would likely be "wasted in the indulgence of appetite".

The New Yorker

But it was trashed to start off with as a trifling romance of high life.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a trifling amount of", ensure the context clearly establishes the insignificance of the quantity being described. This will emphasize the point you are making.

Common error

Avoid using "a trifling amount of" when the quantity, while seemingly small, has significant implications or consequences. Ensure that the context aligns with the intended insignificance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a trifling amount of" functions as a determiner phrase, specifically quantifying a noun in a way that diminishes its significance. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct, indicating something of little importance or value.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a trifling amount of" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a quantity that is insignificant or of little value. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. It is most commonly found in news and media contexts and, to a lesser extent, in wikis. While the phrase is generally neutral, it tends toward formality and is best used when the context clearly warrants emphasizing the insignificance of the amount being described. Related phrases include "a negligible quantity of" and "a minimal quantity of". Using this phrase correctly can enhance the clarity and impact of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a negligible quantity of

Emphasizes the insignificance of the amount.

a minimal quantity of

Highlights the smallness of the amount.

an insignificant portion of

Focuses on the lack of importance of the amount.

a paltry sum of

Implies the amount is not only small but also contemptible.

a small measure of

Suggests a limited degree or extent.

a fractional part of

Indicates the amount is only a tiny fraction.

a modicum of

Suggests a very small or moderate amount.

a scintilla of

Implies an extremely tiny or barely perceptible amount.

a peppercorn of

An idiom for something of very little value.

an iota of

Indicates an extremely small quantity.

FAQs

How can I use "a trifling amount of" in a sentence?

You can use "a trifling amount of" to describe something that is insignificant or of little value. For example, "The donation was "a trifling amount of" money compared to the total cost of the project."

What can I say instead of "a trifling amount of"?

You can use alternatives like "a negligible quantity of", "a minimal quantity of", or "an insignificant portion of" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "a trifling amount of"?

It is appropriate when you want to emphasize that something is so small that it is almost not worth considering. Be sure to check the writing guidance above for the opposite use case as well.

Is "a trifling amount of" formal or informal?

"A trifling amount of" is generally considered neutral to formal. While understandable in most contexts, consider the register of your audience and if a more informal phrase might be preferable in that situation.